Google is facing growing concerns over its soaring water consumption in its data centers, according to the company’s latest environmental report. The report reveals a 20% increase in water usage in 2022, with the company consuming 5.6 billion gallons of water, equivalent to 37 golf courses. The majority of the water, around 5.2 billion gallons, went to Google’s data centers.
The significant rise in water consumption highlights the environmental impact of operating large-scale data centers. These centers require substantial amounts of water to maintain optimal temperatures. With Google and other tech companies racing to develop new data centers, water consumption is expected to continue to rise.
The surge in water usage aligns with Google’s increasing computing power, largely driven by artificial intelligence (AI) technology. However, experts express skepticism regarding the long-term sustainability of this growth. Xiaolei Ren, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of California, Riverside, believes that despite Google’s promise to replenish water resources, the overall consumption remains a concern.
Google has set a goal to replenish 120% of the freshwater it consumes across its offices and data centers by 2030. However, the company has only replenished 6% thus far, according to its own report. The majority of the water Google uses is potable and clean enough for human consumption.
The company claims to consider regional water stress, focusing on areas with lower water scarcity for its freshwater withdrawals. However, Google acknowledges the need to explore new partnerships and opportunities to improve watershed health, especially as more locations face water scarcity.
Google’s plans to build a data center in Mesa, Arizona, have raised concerns due to the region’s existing water shortages. Alistair Barr of Insider points out that Google’s facility in Mesa may need to explore alternative cooling methods to address the water shortage.
Google is not the only company with a growing thirst for water in its data centers. Meta, formerly known as Facebook, used over 2.6 million cubic meters (approximately 697 million gallons) of water in 2022 for its data centers. The company’s latest large-scale language model, Llama 2, required significant amounts of water for training purposes.
In conclusion, Google’s escalating water consumption in its data centers has raised environmental concerns. The 20% increase in water usage aligns with the company’s growing computing power driven by AI technology. While Google has set goals to replenish its freshwater consumption, experts express doubts about the long-term sustainability of this growth. As the race to build new data centers intensifies, addressing the environmental impact of water consumption becomes crucial for tech giants like Google and Meta.
